DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM Carpet cleaner sweeps up
Koda Miranda enjoys
the technical part of coaxing
the grime out of shagI clean carpets for Advantage Carpet Care. I've been there about six months. Before that I worked for a general cleaning company for about five and a half years and did some carpet cleaning. But I've learned a lot more about carpets from Len Poleshaj, the owner of Advantage.
The most interesting thing is that carpet cleaning is pretty technical. Different chemicals are used for different fibers and different kinds of stains. I've learned about alkalines and acids, heat transfers, sewage spills, and how to treat different spots.
I kind of fell into carpet cleaning. I dated this girl and her mom's boyfriend gave me a job with his cleaning company. And I liked it. When I go to work, it's not like work because I enjoy my job. When you go to school, you want to be the doctor or the lawyer, or what have you. I never thought I would be a carpet cleaner, let alone enjoy it. But I do. I like the chemistry and the technical part of it. I like to meet people and I like to figure out the best way to treat the problem.
It is amazing though, some of the things you see. There are those I call the jobs from hell because it's just unbelievable that people get their carpets that dirty. But I like the reactions of people when they're surprised at how clean it gets. Sometime I'm even surprised! On jobs like that the credit goes to Len, because he just knows a lot about how to get carpets clean.
The hardest part of this job would be floods, when the whole carpet is flooded and you have to get in and extract the water. You have to know which way the water is flowing, so you can extract all of it. If you miss an area, it causes mold. You have to know how to dry it, put in your blowers and vent. There's a lot of call for that kind of work. People freak out. Stuff that we think is average, they think is the end of the world. It's nice to walk in and say, this isn't that bad. And in a couple of hours they are amazed that the flood is gone and the carpet is drying out.
Stains can be tough. Older stains are harder, but it has a lot to do with what kind of carpet, how old is the carpet, and when was it last cleaned. Fruit punch is hard, urine is one that makes a tough stain. People who have pets in their home, they really tear up the carpet.
I've learned a lot from Len. There's also schooling and seminars I'd like to take to learn more. I've actually been thinking about, in the future, of going on my own.
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